Travel Recommendations
We recommend flying to LAX Airport, thirty minutes from Santa Monica and five more to the wedding venue.
Note: all travel times are traffic dependent. Beware LA traffic.
We recommend staying in Santa Monica by the beach.
The best budget option is
Hi Los Angeles Santa Monica Hostel
The best mid range option is
The best bougee option is
Casa Del Mar Hotel Santa Monica
For those of you who are savvy, we recommend VRBO, especially if you can link with other guests and book together. We recommend you book near the Santa Monica pier.
While not strictly necessary, a rental car is strongly recommended. For the seasoned hiker and adventurer, Santa Monica does feel like a small beach town where walkability exists. For everybody else, Los Angeles is the final product of a century of success for the automobile political lobbies. That means that the auto industry wants you to have a difficult time enjoying LA without a car. Prove them wrong if you dare, or submit to the tyranny of the automobile.
What to do in Los Angeles:
Walkable:
The Beach
The Santa Monica Pier (you must like crowds, this is LA’s prettier version of Time Square)
Venice Beach
Montana Ave (fancy main street)
Main Street (main street)
Wexlers Deli
The Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays
Nearby:
Jyaan Isaac Bread
Leyla’s Bagels
Huckleberry for breakfast
Gjusta for breakfast and lunch
Drivable:
Erewhon (groceries and hot food)
Co-Opportunity Market (groceries)
Malibu waterfall hike (Escondido Falls)
Malibu beaches
Topanga (mountain town in LA)
Topanga - The Old Place (long, pretty drive to a restaurant)
Hollywood sign hike (touristy)
Downtown LA (maybe an NBA game)
NFL Game
Appolonias Pizza (cash only, weird hours, long drive, good New York style pizza)
Pace Restaurant in Lauren Canyon
Travel:
Ojai (mountain town, two hours)
Santa Barbara (beach town, three hours)
Sequoia National Forrest (fairy tale woods, 4 hours, check on Winter snowfall)
Anza Borrego (desert camping, two hours)
Newport (Elizabeth’s homeland, one or morr hours)
Laguna Beach (beach town, two hours)
Camping on Catalina (one hour to the ferry plus one hour on the ferry)
Travel time varies heavily with traffic. All times are from Santa Monica beach.
